Allround show scripts SRH’s win
Backed by brilliant halfcenturies from Shikhar Dhawan (77), David Warner (51) and Kane Williamson (54), Sunrisers Hyderabad recorded a convincing 26-run win over hosts Kings XI Punjab at the Punjab Cricket Association Stadium in Mohali on Friday.
Batting first, Sunrisers Hyderabad clobbered the Kings XI Punjab bowlers to set up a massive target of 208 runs.
Chasing a daunting total, Kings XI Punjab batsmen could not match up to the brilliance of Sunrisers Hyderabad bowlers, who managed to keep the things tight. In the end hosts Kings XI Punjab could score 181 runs for the loss of nine wickets, falling 26 runs short of the target.
The David Warner-led team gave a scintillating performance with both bat and ball, while Siddharth Kaul and purple cap holder Bhuvneshwar Kumar combined well, leg-spinner Rashid Khan, impressed with his economical bowling.
In the quota of his four overs, he gave away 16 runs and bagged a wicket of Eoin Morgan for 26 runs.
Shaun Marsh waged a lone battle for Kings XI Punjab as his 84-run knock went in vain. He stood like a rock at one end but lost partners at regular intervals. Marsh almost gave Sunrisers Hyderabad a run for their money with his blitzy knock.
He was dropped twice—once on 60 by Deepak Hooda and second time by Warner on 75. Eventually, Bhuvneshwar grabbed Marsh’s wicket when Deepak Hooda caught his catch in the mid-wicket region in the 16th over of the innings.
He scored a valiant 49-ball knock of 84 runs which included 14 fours and two sixes. Kings XI Punjab missed the services of the in-form Hashim Amla, who missed the game due to a hamstringinjury.
Martin Guptill opened the Kings XI Punjab innings with Manan Vohra. But the duo could not get their team a good start. Guptill made 23 while Manan wasoutfor3runs.
Bhuvneshwar claimed two wickets while Siddarth and Ashish Nehra scalped three dismissals each.
Earlier put into bat, Sunrisers Hyderabad openers, David Warner and Shikhar Dhawan batted with swagger to put up a match-winning opening-wicket batting partnership of 107 runs which provided a launch pad to the visitors.
Warner made 51 off 27 balls and his form rubbed off to Dhawan with the Indian hammering 77 runs, his highest knock this season. With this fifty, Warner, who was given a life when Wrridhiman Saha dropped a chance, also became the first Sunrisers Hyderabad batsman to complete 25 fifties in IPL.
He is currently tied with Kolkata Knight Riders skipper Gautam Gambhir on fifties in IPL, with both batsmen having 35.
The New Zealand import Kane Willamson also joined the party and smacked an unbeaten fiery 27-ball knock of 54 runs towards the end to propel his team to cross the 200-run mark.
After Warner was clean bowled by Maxwell, Shikhar took on the scoring mantle with Kane Williamson. The duo added 40 runs. Dhawan’s 77 came off 48 balls. When Yuvraj Singh walked in, he was given a big cheer from the crowd. However, he could not contribute much and was removed by Glenn Maxwell for 15 runs.